Lasting-machine.



- G. N. GORDON.

LASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED uov.6, 1912. RENEWED OCT. 30. ms.

Patented J une 27, 1916.

MINA-5555i unrrnn s'rn'rns PATENT orrron.

GEORGE N. GORDON, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OIE-NEMT JERSEY.

LASTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed November 6, 1912, Serial No. 729,831. Renewed October 30, 1915. Serial No. 58,938.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon N. GonnoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Lasting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for use in shaping end portions of shoe uppers and is herein shown as embodied in end lasting mechanism of the type used in bed lasting machines for working an upper into lasted position and about the toe portion of a last.

In lasting the toes of shoes the upper has a tendency to slip back from under the wipers after they have tensioned the upper about the toe and while they are being operated to wipe the upper inwardly over the edge of the last thus producing a shoe the edge of which is shaped with insufficient accuracy at the toe. It also happens, particularly with unsymmetrically shaped lasts, that a greater resistance is encountered on one side of the last than on the other'in closing the wipers over the toe of a shoe and this causes the toe of the last to be shifted out of symmetrical relation to the wipers so that the upper is not laid against the shoulder of a welt innersole equally on both sides of the toe.

A feature of the present invention consists in the provision of novel means adapted to hold the toe of the last securely in symmetrical relation to the wipers while they are being closed and another feature consists in novel means to cooperate with end embracing wipers for greater eliiciency in shaping the upper at the edge of the shoe. The means herein shown comprises a set of toe holding plates, or auxiliary wipers as they may be termed for convenience, having an inflexible edge contour corresponding to the contour of the edge of the last as distinguished from the contour of the channel lip or shoulder lines to which the overlaying wipers are shaped for lasting welt shoes. The auxiliary wipers are mounted directly below the overlaying wipers where they are adapted to embrace and center the toe portion ofa last through out the toe lasting operation. These hold-V ing plates are illustrated as arranged for vertical movement with them'ain wipers to wipe upwardly along the side faces of the last toward the last edge to tension the upper about the toe of the shoe and then to cooperate with the main wipers by clamping the upper under tension against the outer sides of the last while the main wipers wipe the upper inwardly over the last edge and against the lip or shoulder of a welt innersole, thus avoiding the liability of the upper slipping back. jIt is also to be noted that a well defined angular edge is thus formed on the shoe between these outer and top metallic forming plates instead of the rounded edge which is liable to result from the usual rubbing action of a single set of wipers upwardly and then inwardly over the last A further feature of the invention comprises means for operating the holding plates independently of the main wipers to advance them into operative position on the shoe, though the said means will preferably be located adjacent to the means for operating the main wipers, so that an operator can actuate both sets of plates by one hand. Means is illustrated to lock the holding plates in position to hold the work infiexibly while the upper is being wiped inwardly by the main wipers.

The several features of the invention will appear mo-re'fully from the following de scription ofthe mechanismin which the invention is shown as embodied and will then be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a perspective View of a toe lasting mechanism equipped with a pre-- ferred embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a vlongitudinal sectional view of the toe lasting mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective detail.

The toe lasting head is substantially like that shown and described in United States Letters Patent N 0. 552,834, granted January 7, 1896 on application of Edward 'F. Grrandy and comprises the tilting support 2 presenting a bearing 4 for a sleeve 5 which is adjustable in said bearing by a crank 6 at i about an axis extending lengthwise of the machine. I

The front end of the sleeve 5 is broadened and flattened to present a supporting table 8, which is provided with a cover plate 9, and interposed between the table 8 and plate 9 are the carriers 10 which have a sliding movement to actuate the wipers 12 attached thereto by the clamps 11. Roller studs 14 which rise from the tableS hold the cover plate 9 in place and stand in cam slots in the carriers 10 which are connected by links .15 and a cross head 16 with a plunger 17 extending axially through the sleeve 5 and operated by the hand lever 18 which for this purpose is fulcrumed upon a bearing bracket 20, and has pivoted thereon a recessed block 21 in which is received a segmental block 22 fast on the end of the plunger 17. Through these connections the wipers receive from the lever 18 and plunger 17 a combined advancing and closing movement to lay the upper over the feather 23 and against the shoulder of the welt innersole shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As explained in the above mentioned patent the toe lasting head has also, by means of a treadle, an upward movement to cause the wipers of that patent, after having embraced the toe below the innersole, to wipe the upper upwardly along the side faces of the last to the edge of the shoe bottom.

In addition to the wiper plates 12 above described there are provided in accordance with this invention, auxiliary toe holding plates 2% located between the wipers 12 and the table 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The auxiliary plates are actuated by a duplicate set of carriers 26 which are arranged to have a sliding movement similar to the carriers actuating the main wipers, they being conveniently mounted in the same manner. These carriers are connected by links 28 and a cross head 30 with a plunger 32 extending axially through the sleeve 5 and are operated by a new lever 34 fulcrumed to the bracket 20 and connected to theplunger 32 by a loose connection in the same manner as the above described connection between the lever 18 and plunger 17 which allows for the transverse tilting of the toe lasting head. The levers 18 and 3% are provided with pawls 40 and 41 on their inner faces to engage ratchet faces formed on the upper and lower faces of a stationary bracket arm 43 on themachine frame, whereby said levers can be locked in position.

The holding plates 241, the body portions of which are advantageously about as thick as the wipers 12, have acting edges which may be widened vertically by depending lips as shown to provide acting faces that will extend from the lower face of the wiper 12 down across the edge of the innersole and have a secure but narrow bearing against the side of the last near its edge. It is regarded as important that these acting faces be only wide enough to insure the above mentioned results because it is very desirable to concentrate their action upon the stock which is at and immediately adjacent to the shoe edge in order to obtain the most effective upper shaping action. The plates 24 are preferably advanced into position to embrace the toe of the last with the main wipers and, being of suitable edge contour relatively to the edge contour of the wipers 12, are enabled to position the toe centrally with the line of action of the wipers. Being each inflexible and unyieldingly connected to their operating lever 341 those holding plates clamp the toe rigidly in central position throughout the operation of the wipers 12 in overlaying the upper against the lip of the innersole. As the toe lasting head is raised by the treadle the holding plates may assist the wipers in rubbing the upper upwardly along the side faces of the last to stretch and conform it to the shape of the last or the holding plates alone may perform this function, while the wipers 12 are advanced and closed insuificient to contact with the work, until raised to a position substantially fluslrwith the last bottom. When the plates 2 1 and 12 reach this vertical position, shown in the drawings, the holding plates'2d cooperate with the wipers 12 by clamping the stretched upper against the sides of the last and preventing it from slipping back while the wipers are actuated to wipe the upper inwardly over the last edge and against the shoulder of the innersole. The holding plates also cooperate with the wipers to form an angular edge in the angle between them as shown in Fig. 2; the wipers pressing downwardly by a treadle, not shown, on the feather and the holding plates concentrating lateral pressure by the lever 34: on a narrow area around the toe at and adjacent to the shoe edge.

Having explained the nature of the invention and described a preferred embodiment thereof, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In a lasting machine the combination with tee wipers having an edge contour corresponding to the contour of the lip or shoulder of the innersole around the toe, and operating means for advancing and closing the wipers to lay the upper over the feather and against the shoulder of the innersole, of a pair of holding plates each having an inflexible edge contour corresponding to the outer edge line of one side of the toe of the shoe, said plates being located immediately under the wipers, and means to advance the holding plates into toe embracing position symmetrically with relation to each other and independently of the shoe to position the toe centrally with the line of action of the wipers and to hold the toe r1g1dly againstlateral displacement from this position. i

2. In a lasting machine the combination with toe wipers and operating means for advancing and closing the wipers to lay the is substantially flush with the last bottom in which position they clamp the stretched upper againstthe sides of'the last and hold the toe unyieldingly against lateral displacement while the wipers are actuated to lay the upper over the feather and against the shoulder of the innersole, means to cause said wipers to press downwardly on the feather, andseparate means by which said plates may be operated independently of the wipers and be caused to concentrate a laterally unyielding pressure on a narrow area around the toe at and adjacent tothe shoe edge and thereby cooperate with the wipers to form an angular edge on the shoe in the angle between the plates and wipers.

3. In a lasting machine the combination with toe wipers and operating means for advancing and closing the wipers to lay the upper over the feather and against the shoulder of an innersole, of toe embracing plates located under'the said wipers and having inflexible acting edges, and means for imparting like advancing and closing movements to the embracing plates, said means being operated independently of the wipers.

4. In a machine of the class described, end lasting mechanism comprising two sets of plates arranged one above the other and having similarly contoured acting edges which are inflexible, and operating means for said plates arranged to permit the lower set to clamp the upper against the side faces of the last at and near the edge thereof unyieldingly while the upper set is actuated to wipe the upper inwardly over the last edge.

In a lasting machine the combination with toe wipers and operating means for advancing and closing the wipers to lay theupper over the feather and against the shoulder of an innersole, of cooperating embracing plates which are each inflexible and are located under the said wipers and which present a substantially unbroken working edge to embrace the toe, and operating means for advancing said plates into embracing position unyieldingly.

6. In a lasting machine the combination with toe wipers and operating means for advancing and closing the wipers to lay the upper over the feather and against the shoulder. of an innersole; of plates the acting edges of which are contouredto fit around the toe, said edges being widened vertically to extend from the wipers down across the edge of the innersole and clamp the upper against the edge ofthe lastuwhile holding the work for, the overlaying action "of the wipers, and means for operating the said plates. V

7. In a machine of the class described, toe lasting mechanism comprising two sets of tee embracing plates arranged one above the other, operating means including a'plunger and hand lever for independently advancing each set of plates into toe embracing position, said plungers being provided with segmental blocks on their ends and grooved blocks pivoted to the levers and arranged to engage saidblocks' 8. In a machine for shaping the toes of shoe uppers to a last, shaping plates having a vertical edge contour to press the upper against the lip of a welt innersole, a horizontal face to press the upper against the feather of the innersole, and a vertical edge contour arranged with relation to said earlier mentioned edge and face to press the up per against theside face of the last, said edges and facesbeing inflexible from the middle of the toe around to either side of the toe.

9. In a machine for shaping the toes of shoe uppers to a last, metallic shaping plates jointed at the middle of the toe and otherwise rigid and comprising a vertical edge contour to press the upper against the lip of a Welt innersole, a horizontal face to press the upper against the'feather of the innersole, and a vertical edge contour arranged with relation to said earlier mentioned edge and face to press the upper against the side face of the last, said edges and faces being inflexible from the middle of the toe around to either side of the toe.

10. In a machine for shaping the toes of shoe uppers to a last, a metallic toe embracing mold jointed at the middle of the toe and presenting for engagement with the shoe an outwardly extending horizontal face and a depending vertical face adapted to fit the vertical and horizontal edge contours' of the toe portion of a welt shoe, and means for opening said mold to receive thetoe of a shoe and closing it to embrace and mold 12 the exterior surface of the upper materials into accordance with the saidface contour of the mold.

11. In a machine for shaping end portions of shoe uppers, metallic shaping members jointed at the middle of the shoe end and each having a horizontal face to engage and turn in the margin of the upper to produce an inturned flange, each of said shaping vmembers having also a vertical work engag- 13 ing face extending downwardly from said horizontal face and forming therewith an angle, said members being inflexible from the middle of the shoe end around to each respective side thereof.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a pair of end embracing plates having a plain lower acting face to operate over the bottom of a shoe, a pair of lipped end embracing plates directly below the plain faced plates to operate against the side of the shoe from its edge clownwardly across the innersole edge to a bearing against the last, and operating means for said two pairs of plates.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support presenting a cylindrical bearing, of a sleeve adjustable in the bearing and having its front end flattened to present a supporting table, a cover plate cooperating with the table to provide a guide chamber, superposed carriers confined against vertical displacement in said chamber, and superposed end embracing plates secured to the carriers.

1 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support presenting a cylindrical bearing, of a sleeve adjustable in the bearing and having its front end flattened to present a supporting table, a cover plate coooperating with the table to provide a guide chamber, superposed wiper carriers confined against vertical displacement in said chamber, separate operating connections extending from the wiper carriers backwardly through said sleeve in symmetrical relation to the axis of the sleeve, and means operating through the sleeve to adjust the wiper carriers angularly.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support presenting a cylindrical bearing, of a sleeve adjustable in the bearing and having its front end flattened to present a supporting table, a cover plate cooperating with the table to provide a guide chamber, superposed wiper carriers confined against vertical displacement in said chambe wipers on said carriers, separate operating connections extending from the wiper carriers backwardly through said sleeve in symmetrical relation to the axis of the sleeve, and means permitting separate use of either the upper or lower wipers upon a shoe.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support presenting a cylindrical bearing, of a sleeve adjustable in the bearing and having its front end fiattened to present a supporting table, a cover plate cooperating with the table to provide a guide chamber, superposed wiper carriers confined against vertical displacement in said chamber, separate operating connections extending from the wiper carriers backwardly through said sleeve in symmetrical relation to the axis of the sleeve, and

separate operating levers cooperating with i embracing means infiexibly in work holding position during the overwiping operation.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a support and a. carrier mounted for angular movement therein, of end embracing wipers on the carrier, other end embracing means located below the wipers, operating bars for said wipers and means extending through the angularly movable carrier and'having heads extending in opposite directions, and operating levers mounted on the carrier support and having engagement with said heads permitting the bars to partake of angular adjustments of the carrier while maintaining operative connections with the levers.

19. In a machine of the class described. the combination with suitable operating means, of end embracing plates adapted to open and close around an end of a shoe and having on their lower sides at their shoe engaging edges depending lips presenting faces adapted to extend downwardly across the edge of a shoe innersole and to clamp the shoe upper against the side face of the last and the edge of the innersole.

20. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe end shaping plates each of which has an inflexible work engaging edge, said plates being adapted to embrace an inverted shoe and engage it from its edge downwardly across the edge of the innersole, and operating means for said plates, of means for engaging the shoe bottom from above to locate the shoe for the action of the shaping plates to be applied in desired relation to the shoe edge.

21. In a machine of the class described, the combination with shoe end shaping plates each of which has an inflexible work engaging edge, said plates being adapted to embrace the end of an inverted shoe and engage the upper from the edge of the shoe bottom downwardly across the edge of the innersole, and operating means for said plates, of means constructed and arranged rela tively to said plates to engage the margin of the shoe bottom at its outer edge substan tially co-extensively with said plates and to cooperate with the plates for shaping the upper materials along said edge.

above to locate the shoe for the action of the shaping plates.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE N. GORDON.

Witnesses 7 WILLIAM E. PATCH, EDWARD D. FOLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G." 

